he girl went obediently. The reaction from despair brought
joyousness. Of a sudden, she became aware of the blending perfumes of
the wild flowers and the lilting of an amorous thrush in the wood. Her
lids narrowed to dreamy contemplation of the green-and-gold traceries
on the ground, where the sunlight fell dappled through screening
foliage. Fear was fled from her. Her thought flew to Zeke, in longing
as always, but now in a longing made happy with hopes. There might be
a letter awaiting her from New York--perhaps even with a word of
promise for his return. She smiled, radiant with fond anticipations.
Then, after a word of explanation to Alvira, she set off at a brisk
pace over the trail toward Cherry Lane.

The girl went blithely on her way, day-dreaming of the time when Zeke
should be come home to her again. She stopped at the Widow Higgins'
cabin, to receive felicitations over the escape of Uncle

[Illustration:
_Clara Kimball Young under the direction of Lewis J. Selznick._
"WHEN ZEKE COMES HOME AGAIN."]

Dick from Fanny Brown. Plutina was not minded to harass the older
woman with the tale of Dan Hodges. The outlaw's threats against Zeke
would only fill the mother's heart with fears, against which she could
make no defense. Otherwise, however, the tongues of the two ran busily
concerning the absent one. And then, soon, Plutina was again hurrying
over the trail, which the bordering wild flowers made dainty as a
garden walk. Once, her eyes turned southward, to the gloomy grandeur
of Stone Mountain, looming vast and portentous. The blur of shadow
that marked the Devil's Cauldron touched her to an instant of
foreboding, but the elation of mood persisted. She raised her hand,
and the fingers caressed the bag in which was the fairy crystal, and
she went gaily forward, smiling.

* * * * *

Uncle Dick, meantime, was busy with sterner thoughts, and his task was
harmonious to his musings, for he was cleaning and oiling his rifle
with punctilious care. He did not hasten over-much at either the
thinking or the work. The shades of night were drawing down when,
finally, he hung the immaculate weapon on its hooks. He ate in
solitary silence, served by Alvira, who ventured no intrusion on this
mood of remoteness with which she was familiar from experience. The
old man had determined to go forth and seize, and deliver to the
custody of the law, the person of Dan Hodges. At the best, he